Syrian Desert (Badiyat
al sham)
Oil pipelines cross the desert to connect the oil fields of Saudi
Arabia and Iraq with
Mediterranean ports.
Spanning approximately 518,000 sq km (200,000 sq miles) it covers
parts of
Syria,
Jordan,
Saudi Arabia and western Iraq. Its borders extend from the Orontes Valley in the west to the
Euphrates in the east. It connects in the south with the
deserts of the Arabian Penins
ula. The Syrian Desert is a combination
of desert and steppe, covered in large part by basalt rocks from
lava flows. Total rainfall is 127mm.
The highest peaks are Jabal al Lawz at 2580m in Saudi Arabia and
Jabal Rum at 1754m in Jordan. There are several oases in the desert,
most notably al Ghuta of
Damascus, and
Palmyra.
The desert inhabitants are Bedouin tribes who raise cattle and
camels.
References:http://www.pef.org.uk/EarlySyriaPages/SyrianDes.htm;
http://damascus-online.com/se/geo/syrian_desert.htm